Is the Record Album Dead? Not by a Long Shot

In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a digital music playback format that used a laser to read the disc. The compact disc was expected to quickly replace the long play record album (LP) that Columbia had introduced in 1949. The product took off quickly, even at a retail price that was nearly double that of a record album, and sales of record albums plummeted. The CD, as compact discs quickly became known, offered what audio magazines called "perfect sound forever" while offering immunity to the effects of the wear and tear that often left records noisy. The record companies reduced the price of manufacture through improved production methods, and the cost of manufacturing a CD soon fell below that of manufacturing a record. Even so, compact discs continued to sell well at the higher price, making the CD quite a profitable product, indeed.

In order to maximize their profits, the record companies decided to phase out the phonograph record. They told their retailers that they would no longer accept returns on defective albums. This caused many retailers to stop stocking records altogether, and the record album had more or less disappeared from the market by 1990. And then something strange happened. The record began to make a comeback. Sparked by a few artists that demanded that their record companies issue their product in record form, the LP never quite went away. New albums by bands such as Pink Floyd and Metallica were issued in the mid-1990's in LP form, and those releases not only sold out, but now command a hefty premium on the collector's market. A number of independent bands that were signed by small record companies began to issue records in addition to CDs, partly just to be "different" and partly because the band members just liked listening to records. In some cases, in order to spur sales of the record, artists would include an extra song or two on the record that was not included on the compact disc of the same album. Throughout the 1990's and to the present day, several million record albums have been sold every year.

Granted, records are harder to find in stores than they were fifteen years ago, and an interested buyer might have to seek out a collector's shop or buy them online. But new albums by major and minor artists, along with older, "classic" albums, continue to be released in the LP format. Last year, in Japan, EMI Records issued every album by the Beatles in LP form as limited edition items. They sold out quickly, even at nearly $500 for the set. The market for records is smaller than it used to be, but the record album still thrives.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm that operates several retail Websites, including AluminumChristmasTrees.net, a site devoted to vintage aluminum Christmas trees and accessories, and RarePinkFloyd.com, a site devoted to rare records, compact discs and memorabilia by the band Pink Floyd.

---

Piano on the Right-Side of the Brain

Some of you may remember a book titled "Drawing on... Read More

Les Paul Vintage Gibson Guitars

Les Paul vintage Gibson guitars were first produced in 1952.... Read More

Rhapsody Music Downloads Part II - A pleasant experience?

Welcome back to Part II of Rhapsody Music Downloads! I... Read More

How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children

Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young... Read More

Beginner Guitar Lessons - Learn Guitar without Ever Leaving Your Home!

So, you think you'd like to learn to play guitar,... Read More

Born into musical family, Michael Jackson is as big as ever today

Michael Jackson was born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29,... Read More

Living Life Loud

Change is good. Just ask the millions of unsigned artists... Read More

How to Make State-of-the-Art Video Singles Cheaply

When it comes to promoting their new music releases, I... Read More

Adults Can Learn to Play the Piano Too

Are you well past puberty and have always had a... Read More

Tips for Buying Digital Pianos and Keyboards

Buying a digital piano could be a very delicate attempt,... Read More

Six Reasons to Play New Age Piano

Here are six very good reasons to learn how to... Read More

Guitar Practicing or Guitar Playing?

Just because you're holding your guitar doesn't mean that you're... Read More

Mp3s ? The Future of Music?

Mp3 music is audio that has been digitally encoded and... Read More

Modal Theory for Guitar Players - Part 2

Playing the ModesWhen I used to use this pack with... Read More

Spectral Muses Revisited: The Channeled Melodies of Rosemary Brown

Rosemary Brown (1916-2001) was a middle-aged South London widow, making... Read More

Bagpipe Lessons In Your Own Home !

Bringing Bagpipe Tuition to Everyone, Everywhere.I have been teaching music... Read More

Composing for Dummies

When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think... Read More

How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click?

Interested in making money while you're asleep, or making money... Read More

MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal?

There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More

Guitar Buying - The Pros and Cons of Vintage vs. Reissue

To most people, owning the "genuine article" is the only... Read More

Is the Record Album Dead? Not by a Long Shot

In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a... Read More

An Interview with Angus Young of ACDC - Why He Plays a Gibson SG

Steven: Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you're inextricably... Read More

Tips for a Great Recording Session

You know your songs are great (and so does your... Read More

Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions

Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More

Bluegrass Music - Alive and Well in the Appalachians

One of the Appalachian Mountain region's greatest contributions to the... Read More